IOSR Journal of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 26, Issue 3, Series 3 (March. 2021) 42-46 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org

A Study on the Impact of Tai Ahoms on and Culture

Dr. Pranab Jyoti Gogoi Associate Prof. Dept of English Moridhal College, Dhemaji. & Mr. Prnajal Gogoi Assistant Professor, Dept of History SMD College, Charing, .

ABSTRACT The Tai Ahom culture and language has ample impact on the formation of dominant Assamese culture and language. Many Tai words now become the recognised words of Assamese language and are popularly used in day to day Assamese conversation and writing. There are scarce of substitute words for many Assamese terminologies other than the Tai version of words are used spoken Assamese on different occasions. Such many Tai words have been recognised as substantive Assamese words by modern Assamese dictionaries too. The Tai Ahoms demand that they are the harbinger of Assamese festivals that accompany with typical Bihu dances, songs and other related activities performed by the today. The base of their demands lie on the fact that all the dances, songs, musical instruments and other customs associated with Bihu show greater similarities with the traditional dances, songs and other co-activities of different festivities of the Tai people living in the central part of from where the present Tai Ahoms migrated to centuries back. ------Date of Submission: 28-02-2021 Date of Acceptance: 13-03-2021 ------

I. INTRODUCTION The Tai Ahoms of Assam are basically the people of Syam- Chinese linguistic stock and originally inhabited in the central and sub-central parts of China till 400 B.C. They had to be involved in frequent feud and war with other Chinese people for their survival. They were obsessed by unfavourable demography as well as climatic condition of their original habitat and a fraction of the Tais of China including the Tai Ahoms started migrating to the foothills of the Chinese mountain range where they started to live for several decades. Subsequently they spread up to the South-East Asian locations especially, to Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, , Thailand, North East of and many other places for permanent settlement. They established separate Tai kingdoms in the newly occupied regions under their powerful rulers. The Tai Ahoms of Assam are fraction of Tai-Chinese race landed in Assam during the first decades of 13th century A.D.

MIGRATION TO ASSAM The Tai Ahoms first landed in Assam in 1828 A.D under bold and courageous leadership of Sukapha, the leader of Tai group entered in Assam. At the time of their entry into Assam the entire place of it was scattered in different small states lived by the people of Chutia, Borahi, Kachari, Moran, Mottock, Bodos etc. under their powerful kings. These aboriginal races became heavily disgruntled with the upcoming of Ahoms and put powerful challenge by raising war against them. As the Ahoms were more strong, brave and courageous race, so they were easily capable to thwart all the attacks of these small races. Subsequently the Ahoms brought their territories under their power. Sukapha became an undisputed monarch of the entire place. Thus the Ahoms were capable to settle permanently in Assam and to rule its entire people from the 14th century onwards.

SOURCES OF STUDY ON TAI AHOMS The Tai Ahoms have remarkable contribution to the formation of Assamese society, language, culture and tradition. Only a few Tai scholars of Assam are working on different aspects of Tai Ahom culture and traditions and its impact on the form ation of greater Assamese society and culture till date. In this regard Dr.Puspa Gogoi’s The Tai of North East and The and Custom, J.N.Phukan’s The Tai Ahom Language, Umesh Chetia’s Tai Ahom Buranji Aru Sanskriti, Dr. Lila Gogoi’s Tai Ahom Culture and Sanskriti etc. are DOI: 10.9790/0837-2603034246 www.iosrjournals.org 42 |Page A Study on the Impact of Tai Ahoms on Assamese Language and Culture worth mentioning. Their valued study and research on the Tai Ahom culture and language enables to find adequate information on the subject so far. The present study is a pilot survey on the issue and is based on already published secondary sources of information only. This is a humble attempt to focus on the Tai Ahom culture and tradition and its impact on the modern Assamese society from new perspective. This insight will help for planning out an extensive study and research on the Tai Ahom culture and language in future.

RELATION WITH OTHER NATIVE PEOPLE As Sukapha brought only the male members with him so he desired his people to make matrimonial alliance with the local tribes of Assam and as a result of which a foundation for strong racial as well as lingo- cultural assimilation between the Ahoms and the non- Ahoms was built up. Gradually under the rule of the successors of Sukapha the Ahom were capable to capture and rule the lower Assam areas, up to in the South bank of the river Brahmaputra. Sukapha possessed with broad-minded, cordial and friendly personality, and always preferred to maintain peaceful as well as amicable relation with all the natives of Assam. He had vision for establishing a unique cohesive Assamese race with harmonious co-existence of all the communities through exercising of the ideals of brotherhood, friendliness, mutual help and co-operation. Neither he interfered himself to the peaceful way of life of the local inhabitants after defeating them in Assam nor allowed his men to act as such. His successors were greatly inspired with his brotherly attitude to the non-Ahoms and his lofty enterprise for building up of social harmony among the masses irrespective of the diverse community identity. He always emphasised on the continuance of the same harmony among all the people forever for ensuring prosperity among all. His mission was to get one identity of all the people living in Assam i.e. unique Assamese identity and to build up a strong foundation of this unique Assamese race to prosper.

TAI AHOM LANGUAGE The original language of the Tai Ahoms was the language spoken by the Tai people living in South East Asia and China. The Tai Ahoms migrated, especially from a place called Mung Mao of Yanun province of China during the first decade of 13th century. So, their language bears close similarity with the Tai language spoken by the natives of Mung Mao or entire people of Yanun itself. Their language shows slight difference from the language spoken by some other Tai communities like Khamti, Phake, Aiton,Turung and Khamaayang inhabiting in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh though they belong to same lingo-cultural and ethnic stock with the Tai Ahoms. These Tai groups of people, excluding the Tai Ahoms got accustomed to Burmese culture and traditions due to their continuous abode in Burma for several centuries after their migration from the deep terrains of China. The Substantial Tai language of these people of Tai origin was remarkably contaminated and got new form, termed as Tai-Burmese language. So, such lingo-cultural variation between the Tai-Ahoms and other Tai communities of their vicinity is quiet observable. But the Tai Ahoms landed first at Khamjang, the border area of present Myanmar and Monipur where they lived for a very shorter period of time. So, there was less possibility of their language got contaminated by the language of other groups of people especially, by the Burmese speaking groups. Hence the language spoken by the Tai Ahoms is supposed to be the original form of Tai language rather than the Tai language spoken by some other ( Phake, Khamti,Turung, Aiton, Khamayang etc.)

CHANGES IN TAI AHOM LANGUAGE Till 1503A.D. no considerable change to the Tai Ahom language occurred. But from the time of Ahom King Suhung Mung changes in the Tai Ahom language is quiet discernible. After 1503 large numbers of North Indian people speaking different languages of origin migrated to Assam and started to live here permanently. The Ahoms came into contact with these non-tai Indians and were greatly influenced by their language, culture and traditions. In early stage of Tai language no grammar patterns were followed but later on, due to their contact with the people of other language and culture they were interested to formulate the Tai language under grammatical patterns. A renowned Tai Ahom linguist, Chao Ratneswar Buragohain observes that the substantial form of Tai language was remarkably changed during the period of Ahom King, Gadadhar Singha. During the time, many Assamese words got mixed up with the Tai language and the Tai Ahoms were accustomed to express many Tai terminologies in Assamese version. The process of mixing up of both Assamese and Tai language continued till the later part of 18th century and as a result of which the Assamese became the popular language among the Tai Ahoms. The Tai people started speaking Assamese during their interaction with other . Gradually the Assamese even became the language of their casual familial conversation while it was recognised as a language of school . Finally from the state of casual family conversation and interaction with other non-Tai people the Tai Ahoms mostly chose to speak in Assamese only even among their own people on various social occasions rather than in Tai language.

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DILUTION OF TAI LANGUAGE The Tai language got diluted through entanglement of certain hindrances in it in Assam with the advent of British. The British established its sway over Assam with its imperialistic network by defeating the Burmese ruler in 1825A.D. The British administration started to function in Assam from 1853 onwards. The British officials working in Assam found the Tai language difficult to pronounce in their communication with the Tais and other non Tai peoples who were well versed in Tai language. They found the Assamese words easier for pronouncing as well as understanding. Gradually they became habituated to speak Assamese in broken form and preferred to communicate in broken Assamese with all the people living in Assam. Thus having royal favour as well as support of the British the Assamese became the recognised language of Assam for all types of communication except the internal affairs of British administration. During the time, even large numbers of non Assamese Indian people migrated to Assam were also much interested in learning Assamese language and they used to speak only the Assamese during their interaction with Assamese people. Later on the British policy of education recommended Assamese to be the second language for teaching in the schools of Assam. Thus Assamese language got recognition as an institutional and a media language of communication for all classes of the people of Assam. With the popularity and acceptance of Assamese language everywhere in Assam, the importance of Tai language lessened considerably. On the other hand the Tai people also gradually came to realise the fact that learning Assamese would be much essential for over all development of them. They put much emphasis in learning and speaking Assamese and consequently they were about to forget their own substantive Tai language. As a consequence the Tai language was degraded to the position of an obsolete and irrelevant language in Assam. Tai language survived only among a very limited section of the Tais belonging to the class of the front ranked Tai linguists and the priests. By the by they also very rarely took to speak the language except in some special occasions like traditional rituals and ceremonies.

INFLUENCE OF THE TAI LANGUAGE ON ASSAMESE LANGUAGE The Tai language left indelible influence on the Assamese language through prolonged lingo-cultural admixture between the two. Many Tai words have been considered to be the recognised words for both writing and communication in Assamese language. Some examples representing such linguistic assimilation are listed below.

Assamese Tai Ahom Meaning Ping dia Ping Pinch with a needle or stick Cheng loga Cheng Influence of spirit or some Power

Chung Saluwa Chung Change of sheltering Jai lang thake lang lang Back of man (let back be broken, but one would fight)

Lang lang thang thang Lang Back (tilted up and down, disadvantage)

Than than ban ban ban ban Split (aimless separation) Bang bang bang bang Moved aimlessly Thung thung thang thang thang Beating drum or other metal Ping ping pang pang Ping Pang Move aimlessly Li lia li li Thin, elongated thing Agoli li Top of a thing Tinya Tinya Dwarf Chakchon Chak chon A chi card Cham soi soi A kind of ant Chang mai Chang mai Cooking man, Kang Kang The body structure Rangkang Rang Kang The shape of skeleton Jang Jang Line, shape, structure etc. Yang Yang Glue Jangphai yang phai Ebony, glue like fire Khang Khang Basket Rong Rong Pleasure, a special house

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Rong hai hai Joy and screaming Bura Metha Pu/Me thao Old man/woman Da Dap Sword, knife Mitda mit, dap Knife, a special Tai knife Khiptin Khip tin Shoe Tongkora tong Feeling, try to understand Rangkai rang Shape, figure Lingkai ling kai Portion of mouth Jin gol jin Cold, become calm and quiet Patghar Pat, Pratu Door house Pa tu, Pa tu Sound of frying in oil Pik ban Pik Spitting pot (Pik= spit, Ban= pot) Hom homai thoka hom Feel simple pain Kela kla Exclamatory word For getting strength Chong Cheng Disguise, acting, design Lailingia japi Lai lying Specially designed, (Kup lai Lying=designed hat)

Some Tai words are used in prefixes of Assamese words Assamese Tai Words Meaning Ao kora Aa Open mouthed Ai chu Ai Sao Respected Ahom woman Um Un Warm Kon kon Spouting seed, germ Kan kan Equal friend Ka reng Ka rong Royal house Kham kapur Pha kham Golden cloth Chop chopia chop Full, over flooded Tong kora Tong Felt Jin jowa Jin Mixed Garu tu tu hu Used as gender classifier Phuka Phukuwa Phuk pass air Phai uth Phai Fire, becoming angry Phut, Phuta Phut bubble of boiled water Phat phat poha Phat Reading (Poha= read in Assamese) Mai hang Mai hang Raised tray of wood Lao chiga Lao Word, talking Ligira Likchow Lik, Lik chow Boy, servant Rap thoka Rap interest, wish Pam khowa Kin pam Kin=khowa=eat, pam=new Land, settling in new land Thunga Thung bag Motong Mo tong Cooking pot Tou Tau A kind of pot Langching Lang ching A stick to control elephant

Some Tai words are used in suffixes of Assamese words

Tai Ahom Meaning Assamese Kinle Kin=eat Khale, Kha= eat Paidai Pai=go Jao dei (Jao=go) Kin la ne? Have you eaten? Kha la ne? Ban a Please speak Kowa na Pai la please go Bola Kin cha eating (you) Khai cha Kin chu eating (I) Khai chu

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Ba/Wa kin khao eat rice Bhat khaba Ba pai and go Jabai

INFLUENCE OF TAI AHOM CULTURE The Tai culture and tradition has made greater contribution to the flourishing and nourishment of Assamese culture in various ways. The Tais have left its imprint on Assamese way of food habits, dress, cloth making, songs and dances, festivals, agricultural and other related economic activities. The dainty and delicious veg and non-veg dishes of the Tai are now taken to be the most popular and tasty food items of entire Assamese people. Especially the smoked fish and meat, sour curry prepared with the combination of fish, dhekia (furn) and elephant fruit supposed to be most interesting and delicious dishes of the Tai Ahom is commonly accepted as the most attractive and delicious dishes by all. Different medicinal plants such as Vedi climber (chunk vine), Drun, Machunda(heart leaf), Manimuni (Indian penywort), Narsigha (Murraya Koenigii), Titakachi (bitter herb), Suklati (Vern) used by Tai Ahoms since ancient time as medicinal herbs against different bodily disorders are now taken to be widely used by all for same purposes. Garments of the Tai Ahoms like that of muga (cocoon), pat(sari), silk chadar ( scarf), blouse, mekhela, riha and eri chadar (scarf) produced through homestead looms by Ahom women are treated as most loving and fashionable dresses of all the indigenous communities of Assam. The Tai scholars across the globe claim that the entire Bihu Festival of Assam was originated in central China from where the Tai Ahoms migrated to Assam. The base of their demand lies on the ground that the tradition of singing and dancing in group, sometimes on the bank of river or sometimes under the tree was in vogue during the time of festival among young Tai boys and girls in the central China including Mung Mao from where the Tai Ahoms first migrated to the foothill areas of the Chinese mountain range. Dances and songs were performed with joy and merriment in group by the young boys and girls bear the note of mutual love and affection among youth. All such ancient love songs and dances were performed in same tune and style like our modern Bihu songs and dances. Further, the songs of merriment and love were accompanied by some typical musical instruments like drums, clappers, cymbals, pipes, flutes etc. used by the Tais of China, now also used for performing Bihu dances and songs in Assam. The Tai Ahoms followed the same method of agriculture practiced by the Tais of the central china. The cultivable land was tilled with the help of plough and bull or buffalo and the Tai farmers practiced both, the dry and wet rice cultivation in the selected plots of land. This Tai Ahom mode of cultivation is being widely practiced in Assam at present time.

II. CONCLUSION The process of lingo-cultural assimilation among different races is a common phenomenon of human society. No language or culture of the people is static or isolated to be practiced only within the community to which it belongs to. Language or culture of a particular community may be extinguished due to the impact of dominant culture of its vicinity. But in the process of extinction, a language or culture always leaves innumerable attributes to its successor language or culture to prosper. It is unquestionably true that in the formation and development of modern Assamese culture and language the Tai Ahoms have greater contribution. The Tai dictions are now recognised as part and parcel of Assamese language to give it a composite character. The words of Tai version are widely included in modern Assamese Dictionary too. The modern Assamese language that we speak today is nonetheless, a language formed with balanced admixture of both the Tai and Assamese words. Assamese language will undoubtedly lose its composite structure if the Tai terminologies are separated from it. The Assamese people irrespective of class, creed and religion have accepted those Tai versions of words as well as the Tai customs as essential part of Assamese language and culture as a result of which it is possible today for all Assamese people to give its identity as a unique linguistic group in the world.

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